Alan Courtis
Solo work. Does work as duo with Aaron Moore. They utilize anything from grand pianos and balaphons to metal lampshades and wooden staircases. Other groups; ÜL, Courtis-Romero, Culver-Courtis, L'Autopsie A Révélé Que La Mort Était Due A L'Autopsie Over 20 years making music with people with disabilities. http://www.thewire.co.uk/audio/btr/below-the-radar-03/4 Alan Courtis (aka Anla Courtis) was born in 1972 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he still lives. He was a founder member of Reynols, a group with many albums on labels from the USA, Europe, Japan and New Zealand, including conceptual and/or absurd projects such as 10,000 Chicken Symphony, Blank Tapes and The Whistling Kettle Quartet. His music always has a strong experimental sense and is usually based on high-skilled techniques of prepared sound, tape manipulations, processing of field recordings, live electronics, objects, cymbals, synthesizers, computer tools, playing traditional (both acoustic and electric) instruments as well as self-built, strange and unusual instruments (unstringed guitar, for example). http://www.thewire.co.uk/audio/tracks/listen_alan-courtis_s-wirecast Born in 1972, Alan Courtis came up in Buenos Aires during Argentina’s military dictatorship – the Dirty War years between 1976–83. Starting out playing guitar (his father used to play gaucho music – Argentine cowboy songs) Courtis later studied composition at the Conservatorio Municipal Manual de Falla. In parallel, Courtis trawled the fringes of the Argentine rock nacional scene, soaking up 1970s acid folk and psychedelic rock. In 1993, along with Christian Dergarabedian and Roberto Conlazo, Courtis formed The Burt Reynolds Ensemble. When Miguel Tomasín joined, they renamed themselves Reynols, going on to perform and record up until they disbanded in 2004. Since then Courtis has kept busy on a series of international tours and collaborations, releasing numerous recordings Speaking about the influence of folklore on his music, Courtis tells Kek-W in The Wire 365: “It’s about working with the imaginary dimension of folklore. Countries and cultures are collective inventions and, in some ways, we are inventing them all the time. Nowadays, everything is mixed up. Traditions are being constantly redefined. Anything could potentially become the next folklore... When listening to all this music, I realised just how ‘experimental’ music can be. I mean, I’m supposed to be an experimental musician, but in the end it’s quite shocking to notice that ‘experimental’ is not just a genre, label or adjective – it’s a basic quality of music. I think that all powerful music is basically experimental in the sense that it somehow sets its own parameters at some point. And it’s surprising how valid or consistent this idea is for music from all times and places.” Alan Courtis is one of the most prolific experimental musicians of South America. Co-founder of the legendary Reynolds group has interests in more than 200 discs in various international labels, both as a soloist and with various formations. Usually based on extensive tours of Japan, Europe, USA and Latin America, and has collaborated with artists such as Pauline Oliveros, Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Damo Suzuki (Can), John Oswald, Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers), Lasse Marhaug and Aaron Moore, among others. Alan arrived with contact mics and a pair of instruments, which added, among other things, a washing machine drum and changuito supermarket found on the terrace. Yes folks, it's Alan Courtis.